Z I Forgot to Say 'I Love You' Complete
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a little push... When Derek has a slight mishap on the job, is it enough for him and Penelope to admit their feelings for each other? Maybe...if Derek could remember how he felt.
1. Chapter 1

_OK…here goes. A while ago, I put up a poll on my profile asking which clichéd storyline you'd most like to read (I'm still working on that one) and Kricket Williams threw down the gauntlet and said she'd like to see me write a story about Derek involving a case of Lacunar Amnesia. Needless to say, I can never back down from a challenge! ;)_

_FYI—if you do not like clichéd plot lines, you may not like this. This story was written strictly for fun and is not meant to be serious, so please proceed with a light heart!_

_Enjoy!_

_~ Angie_

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Speak and be dazzled by my—"<p>

"Garcia?" Prentiss cut in shortly.

"Emily? Everything OK?" Penelope asked panicked. Her friend's voice sounded ominous. The team was close to home, but sometimes it seemed the closer to Quantico they were, the worse things got.

"No, Garcia. Everything is not OK," Prentiss answered bluntly.

"What—"

"We're on our way to Potomac Hospital. Derek was pushed from the top of a building, and—"

"He _what_?" Penelope shrieked as she jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse, running for her office door.

"He hasn't regained consciousness yet," Prentiss continued.

"Well, how…never mind," Penelope said. "I'll get the details later. I'm on my way."

Too late Penelope realized she was still wearing the headset from her office, but it didn't matter. She'd return it tomorrow. She hit the button for the elevator, but three seconds later, when the doors _still_ hadn't opened, Penelope sprinted for the stairwell. When she finally reached Esther, she threw her bag into the passenger's seat and gunned it out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Six hours later, she, JJ, and Reid were waiting for an update from the doctors. They'd seen him once, but he still hadn't woken up yet. The doctors wanted to run test after test, so they'd asked the trio to remain in the waiting room while they did so.<p>

"Gin," Reid said for what Penelope guessed was the tenth time since they'd arrived.

"I give up," JJ said in defeat, dropping her cards on the table. "You can't be beat."

"Vegas in the veins," Reid informed her with a grin.

They were like background music to her jumbled thoughts: Was Derek OK? When was he going to wake up? The doctors had said it was only a matter of time, but with him unconscious and not able to tell them anything, did they really know that for sure? And just how old were these doctors anyway? One of them looked like Doogie Howser, M.D. for crying out loud! Derek needed an experienced doctor. He needed the best!

Should she call his family? Derek had always said in the past that if anything happened to him, his family was not to know about it until they had an idea of what was going on, and they really didn't. But what if, God forbid, something went terribly wrong and they didn't get a chance to see him one last time? Would Penelope ever be able to forgive herself? She'd met Derek's mother once when she'd come to Quantico to visit her son, and Penelope adored the woman. Was it really her place to keep this from her? Just as she was pulling her cell phone out of her purse to call headquarters for Derek's mother's number, a doctor that Penelope recognized from earlier walked into the room.

"Derek Morgan?" he asked.

She sprung to her feet, her jacket and purse all but forgotten; Reid and JJ were just a few steps behind her as she made her way to the doctor. "We're here for Derek," she said quickly.

"He's awake," the doctor announced.

"Oh, thank God," Penelope said. "How is he?"

"I'm not exactly sure," the doctor said carefully. "Maybe you could come see him and tell me?" she suggested.

Penelope nodded, falling into step next to the doctor as they made their way down the dimly lit hallway. Penelope was confused by the woman's words. How was _she_ supposed to know how Derek was doing? The doctor was the one with the medical degree! She stopped a few feet from Derek's room, turning to face the three. "I want you to go in there, and talk to your friend like you always would," she instructed. "And if anything seems…different, please let me know."

Penelope nodded, anxious to get to Derek. She quickly walked into his room; he was propped up against his pillows, eating green jell-o out of a clear plastic container. "Hello," he said with a tired grin on his face. "Do you want some more blood?" He held an arm out to his side. "I was just finishing up with my snack anyway."

"Derek?" Penelope said carefully.

He grinned back. "Hot nurse?" he returned.

"Wha…?" Penelope's voice trailed off as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's just as I thought," the doctor said, appearing in the doorway of the room.

"What?" JJ asked, confused.

"Amnesia?" Reid mused in amazement.

"Precisely," the doctor confirmed.


	2. Chapter 2

_FYI—I couldn't find a lot of information on Lacunar Amnesia, so I may have taken a few liberties. All in good fun! Thanks for the reviews for last chapter. Here's the next…_

_~ Angie_

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><p>"This is absolutely fascinating!" Reid exclaimed, earning him a good sock on the arm from Penelope.<p>

"Wha…?" she sighed dramatically. "Amnesia, shmam-nesia. That only exists in the movies," she insisted, moving quickly to her friend's side. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Derek…you know who I am, right?" she asked sweetly.

He gave her a crooked grin. "Well, if you're not here to take my blood, I'm hoping you're the one bringing me my pain meds," he answered. "It feels like there's someone inside of my skill banging on it with a hammer."

"Where are his pain meds?" Penelope demanded, turning to the nurse.

"Ahhh…Garcia?" JJ said carefully. "Bigger fish to fry here…"

Penelope sighed. "Look, Hot Stuff—"

Derek grinned, but the action caused him to wince in pain. "Hot stuff, huh? And just how do you know _that_?"

At least he hadn't lost his disposition. Before she knew what was happening, Penelope began seeing spots. "Oh, no," she said, suddenly gasping for air.

"Panic attack," Reid said casually, his hands resting comfortably in his trouser pockets.

"Pa—panic attack!" JJ rushed over to Penelope and put her hands on her shoulders, backing her up so she was standing in front of the only chair in the room. "Sit," she commanded.

For once, Penelope did exactly as she was told.

"What's going on?" Derek asked.

"Reid, you don't say 'panic attack' in a calm voice!" JJ scolded, ignoring Morgan. "You need to have a little bit of urgency in your tone so people react immediately!"

"You _did _react immediately," Reid pointed out.

JJ rolled her eyes. "You OK, Garcia?" she asked.

"No," Penelope said shortly. "I am _not_ OK. He was _pushed_ from a building, managed not to break a _single_ bone, but can't remember who he _is_?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm Derek Morgan," he cut in, filling Penelope with a bit of hope.

"It _is_ a miracle he didn't break anything," the doctor agreed.

Penelope wanted to get up and shake the woman! Did she really not see the bigger picture here? She probably would have gotten up and smacked her, but the woman turned to Reid. "Can you ask him a series of questions about his current life?" she requested.

Reid nodded, stepping forward. "Do you have any pets?" he asked.

Derek nodded. "Clooney, my dog," he answered.

"Who do you work for?" Reid continued.

"The FBI," Derek returned.

Reid nodded in confirmation, but then Derek spoke again.

"I work for the HRT here at the Chicago office."

Reid shook his head slightly at the doctor.

* * *

><p>"But amnesia is when someone has no memory," Penelope argued with the doctor. They'd congregated outside of Derek's hospital room so she could give them the details. "He has memories!"<p>

"What we're dealing with here is called Lacunar amnesia," the doctor explained.

"I don't know what that is," Penelope said quickly.

"It's the loss of memory of one specific event, or sometimes, as in this case, a chunk of time."

"But…how can someone just _lose_ a chunk of time?" Penelope asked doubtfully.

"This type of amnesia is very uncommon, and I'm afraid there isn't a lot of information on the condition."

Penelope sighed. It was definitely time to call in Momma Morgan.

* * *

><p>She stayed for all of a week before Derek drove her crazy. He'd never been one to just take it easy around the house, so when the doctor had cleared him to go back to work (for mundane tasks since he was obviously in no condition to be in the field) he'd insisted that his mother return to Chicago. He was fine, if not a little bored, but she certainly didn't need to put her life on hold for his. It took some convincing, but he was finally able to talk her into heading back home. Of course, that was <em>after <em>she had talked to Penelope, who agreed to keep an eye on him. As if he needed a keeper.

Upon arrival to the Bureau on his first day back, Hotch and Rossi spent some time questioning him. To their surprise, Derek was still in full possession of his profiling talents. It was decided then that he'd stay in Quantico when the team was out on a case, but always be available to consult with them if needed.

They'd been out on a case all week, and his assistance hadn't been needed. Since he couldn't remember case details, he was unable to catch up on paperwork, so Derek spent his time doing small tasks such as filing and going over the cases JJ would go over had she not been in the field with the rest of the team. By the end of the week, he was ready to detonate with boredom.

He and Penelope were leaving work Friday afternoon, and Derek was desperate for company. Sure, she'd driven him home and stayed for a few minutes before leaving just to make sure all was well, but it wasn't enough. He needed to be around someone, dammitt! He was sick of piles and piles of paper, and facts. Besides, she was supposed to be his best friend.

"What are you doing tonight?" Derek asked as they reached her car.

"The same thing I do every other Friday night, Derek," she answered.

He gazed at her questioningly.

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry," she said quickly. Sometimes, for just a second, it would actually slip her mind that he couldn't remember. It wasn't like you could tell by looking at him! "I have Zumba class tonight."

"Zumba?" he asked, interested. He'd seen an infomercial for it on television the other night when he couldn't sleep. He was still working out, but he wasn't getting that physical exertion he got a lot of the time, and it was interrupting his sleeping pattern.

She nodded. "Yeah. Do you want to grab a bite to eat or something when I get out?" she asked, tossing her bag into Esther's passenger seat.

"Or…I could go to Zumba _with_ you," he suggested.

She froze in place. "You want to go to Zumba with me?" she asked uneasily.

"Yeah," he said. "Why not?"

A million different reasons why not were floating through her head: For one thing, he'd teased her endlessly about taking the class—at least the old Derek had. It wasn't as though he was being mean to her about it, but out of all the times he'd asked her to go to the gym with him, she'd never said yes. _You like Zumba more than you like me, _he used to joke. She missed his teasing.

But the last thing she wanted was for fit as a fiddle Derek Morgan to witness her shaking body as she moved to the beat of the Latin music. For God's sake, he didn't need to see her Samba-ing!

She was about to say no when her eyes met his—lonely and hopeful all at the same time. It was something she'd never witnessed before-at least, not from _him. _"Sure," she heard herself say before she could stop herself.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews for last chapter! ~ Angie_

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><p>If Penelope had known this morning that Derek was going to accompany her to Zumba after work, she wouldn't have been so mad at herself for not doing her laundry last night. She hadn't had a clean pair of workout shorts to bring for the class, and she knew she'd be sweating like crazy by the end—she always was! So she'd had to bring sweatpants. Which suited her just fine (pun intended, she thought with a grin) if Derek was going to be there.<p>

Sure, she wore short skirts to work, but he'd never gotten a glimpse of her _upper_ upper thighs, and there was no need to give him one now! Not under _these_ circumstances, anyway. Penelope immediately felt guilty for the thought. This might be Derek, but the poor man was totally unsuspecting; it wasn't fair for her to be having these thoughts about him! He wasn't even the same person. Charming still, for sure, but not the same Derek she flirted like crazy with day after day—the one who flirted back. It had been over a week now, and she couldn't believe how much she missed their playful banter. She couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever get it back.

As she bent over to stretch her hamstrings, she caught a peek of the woman behind Derek and her jaw dropped. The woman had stopped halfway down in order to admire Derek's…_assets_. Well, Penelope wasn't thrilled with _that! _She cleared her throat loudly, causing the woman to blush furiously before moving into her position.

"You OK?" Derek whispered.

Penelope's eyes flew to her best friends. "Fine," she snapped.

Derek's eyes widened a bit, but he just looked away.

* * *

><p>All in all, Penelope did <em>not<em> consider this Zumba experience to be a success. It was, in fact, a bit of a bust. While all the other women were able to openly stare at Derek while he 'got his groove thang goin',' as Emily liked to say, Penelope had had to force herself to focus on the instructor. And the more infuriated she became with the other women in the class, the more her body temperature rose until her face was beet red and her hair soaked with sweat. Thank God she'd put it up into a ponytail or she'd have been slinging little droplets everywhere!

She took a moment to catch her breath (the cool down just hadn't been enough today,) and when she finally turned around, Derek was already surrounded by three women, a huge, sexy grin on his face as he flirted with them. So much for diffusing her anger. She practically stomped to the locker room—childish, she knew, but dammitt! Couldn't _this _Derek—the one who didn't know how much of a player he actually _was_—feel just a teensy bit of attraction to her? Couldn't he want her with just the smallest fiber of his being? _Apparently_ _not_, she thought, answering her own question. "He's out of your league, Garcia," she muttered to herself on her way out of the locker room.

Derek and the three women had made their way into the lobby, so Penelope passed with a quick "I'll see you later, Derek." She was thankful he'd decided on bringing his own vehicle to work today. She'd almost reached her own when he caught up to her.

"Hey!" he called.

She turned around and looked at him expectantly.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Yep," she said shortly.

"I thought…we were going out to eat," he reminded her cautiously.

"Oh, do you still want to go?" she asked, surprised.

"Well…yeah. The night is far from over; I haven't been sleeping well lately. I'll be up for at least another six hours, and it seems I get bored easily these days," he said in a teasing tone, but she could sense the frustration beneath his words.

"It's the coffee," she commented.

"What?" he asked puzzled.

"That's why you can't sleep. You drink it when you're out on a case all day long because it keeps you up at night. But when you're at the office, you don't drink it past two o'clock. Otherwise, you don't sleep a wink," she explained.

"Oh," he said in wonder. Then, "Thanks. I…" He chuckled. "Thanks for schooling me on myself."

Penelope grinned at him, all but forgetting the three bimbos inside—his smile could do that to a girl. "You're welcome."

"I'm starving," he admitted. "Where do you want to eat?"

Penelope shrugged. "Wherever you want to go is fine with me."

Derek tilted his head to the side. "You're kidding, right?"

"Oh, crap!" Penelope exclaimed, the sighed. "I forgot again."

"Maybe you caught my amnesia," he joked.

Penelope rolled her eyes as she smacked him on the arm. "Smart ass."

He grinned. "That's me…apparently." He frowned. "Hey," he said as she was getting into her car.

"What?"

"When we get there, remind me to give you hell for leaving me with those vultures back there."

Penelope grinned. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

He gave her a stern look. "One of them asked me to flex my _ass_," he said in a low voice.

Penelope couldn't help but giggle at that. Derek Morgan had so much to learn about himself.

* * *

><p>"Oh my <em>God!<em>" Derek exclaimed, and then groaned in obvious satisfaction. He closed his eyes as he laid his fork down beside his plate.

"Derek…" Penelope scolded in a whisper as she looked around the dimly lit room. "People are staring!"

"Let them," he said. "This is the _best _Chicken Alfredo I've ever had. I love it!"

"You should," Penelope remarked dryly. "This is your favorite restaurant."

Derek's hand froze halfway to his mouth, his breadstick just inches from his lips. "It is?" he asked in surprise.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Hmmm…" he said thoughtfully. "What else can you tell me about me?"

"Your favorite color is blue."

He grinned at her. "Because of your eyes, no doubt," he teased without missing a beat.

Penelope couldn't help but smile back. This was the closest thing she'd seen to the Derek Morgan she knew and loved in days.

"What else?" he pressed. "What's my favorite movie?"

"Twilight," she answered quickly.

"Twilight?" he repeated, scrunching his nose up in thought. He reached for his wine glass "I don't recognize the title."

"Well of course you don't, Hot Stuff," she said sweetly. "You have amnesia." Oh, he was going to hate her for this when his memory finally returned, but he'd once bet her a hundred dollars that she'd never get him to watch Twilight. _I'm not into biting…only nipping, _he'd told her with a grin.

On the other hand, if she _didn't_ seize this opportunity, he'd lose all respect for her when his memory returned. This was just too good to pass up!


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey, guys! I'll respond to reviews for last chapter as soon as I can. I'm getting ready to leave for vacation, so I have lots of packing packing packing to do!_

_I hope you enjoy this installment…it was a lot of fun to write!_

_Thank you all for the reviews for last chapter! ~ Angie_

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><p>Derek Morgan lay awake in bed, his fingers laced together with his hands resting on his flat belly. He sighed heavily. It was seven fifty in the morning, and still he hadn't slept a wink last night. He'd thought maybe that Zumba class he'd gone too would put him right out, but it hadn't. Which was surprising, since the class had practically knocked him on his ass!<p>

His mind went to the restaurant the previous night with Penelope…his 'best friend.' Not once had she stopped smiling during dinner. For that matter, neither had he. In fact, the whole thing had felt much more like a date than a casual dinner between 'buddies.'

Maybe there was something more between them. _Maybe _they were having some illicit affair, and they'd decided to keep it from the rest of the team. _Maybe_…

_Dammitt! _he thought to himself. Here she was, being nice to him, sweet as can be, and here _he_ was, thoughts of sexual escapades dancing through his mind. He really needed to get a grip. But most of all…he needed sleep! But the only way he was going to get that was if he was so exhausted he couldn't possibly keep his eyes open. He needed a good workout.

In fact…he'd seen a sign last night advertising more class times. He'd be a few minutes late, but that would be OK…they probably wouldn't say anything if he stayed near the back. Derek sprung up out of bed, quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, then found a pair of workout shorts and a t-shirt.

* * *

><p>He knew he was in the wrong class as soon as he opened the door. Gone was the Latin beat from last night. Instead a slightly slower beat filled the room, and every woman in the class had a chair placed in front of her. His eyes immediately found Penelope at the front of the room, and his jaw nearly dropped.<p>

Instead of the baggy sweatpants and sneakers she'd been wearing the night before, she was sporting a fitted tank top and a pair of shorts coupled with silver strappy heels, rhinestones creeping sexily up the center of her foot. The heels on them were as high as her shorts were short.

She may not have been the smallest woman in the room, but she was easily the sexiest. From where he stood, he could see the prominent muscles of her legs as she stalked purposefully forward until she reached her chair. She marched a few steps in place and the motion, though simple, was incredibly seductive. Her hip cocked first to one side, then the other before repeating the motion.

"Ladies," the instructor said interrupting his thoughts. She spoke in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the music. "Remember to close your eyes for this next move. Keep a single finger on the back of the chair, stroking it softly while you circle around to the front."

Derek swallowed as he watched Penelope run her finger leisurely across the metal, coming to a halt when she reached the front. She turned to face forward, then squatted down and perched herself on the edge of the chair with her hands on her knees. She spread her legs as far apart as she could before closing them once again and standing. She lifted her arms in the air, shaking them back and forth with strong movements as she moved her lower body simultaneously.

And just when he thought it couldn't get any better, she shimmied her way down to the floor and onto her belly before rolling onto her back. She lifted her knees until they were at a ninety degree angle, and then resting her hands on her lower thighs, she once again spread them.

Derek licked his lips instinctively—this was almost more than he could take. And he would have stayed to watch more…if something hadn't come up.

* * *

><p>"I don't believe it," Derek said after a full five minutes of silence.<p>

"It's not a big deal," Penelope assured him, rubbing his shoulder. "In fact…I think it's kind of sweet that you're in touch with your softer side." Oh, she was having so much fun with this! She knew she shouldn't be, and she truly missed her best friend, but she'd never get another opportunity like this.

Derek gave her a look of disbelief. "Softer side?" he practically spat. "I'm a pussy! No self respecting man would watch a movie like that!"

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a true alpha."

"You know what? I'm glad I have amnesia!" Derek exclaimed.

She couldn't help but giggle at that. "You are _not_."

OK, well, there _was_ some truth to that. He hated this amnesia thing. He wanted to know just exactly what was going on between 'Derek Morgan' and Penelope Garcia. Had they really been just friends? Because he'd been sitting next to her for the last two hours and two minutes and all he knew was that her smell was so exhilarating he wanted to bury his face in her neck and suck in as much air as he possibly could. He really should do 'Old Derek' a favor and hit on her. It would serve the bastard right for never making a move. Especially after seeing her in that damn class this morning. What a wake up call!

He reached forward from his spot on the floor and grabbed his glass of wine off her coffee table. Again, he couldn't help but think how very 'date-ish' this was.

Penelope laughed. "Would it make you feel better if we watched 'Con Air'?"

"Sure," he agreed.

She nodded, and then stood, walking over to the cabinet that held her DVD collection.

"What's 'Con Air?'" he asked with a frown.

She pulled the movie out and turned around. "Guns and cons," she said.

"Now _that _sounds like something I'd like," he commented with a grin.

She laughed as she put the movie in the player. "We'll get that masculinity back up to par yet," she assured him.

She walked back to the coffee table and grabbed her wine glass. "Refill?" she asked.

Derek sat there for a moment studying her face before finally handing her his glass. "Thanks," he said.

She couldn't help but wink at him as she took it.

"How am I not in love with you?" he asked. He hadn't meant to; the words had just flowed forth. Oh, 'real Derek' was going to kill him!

Penelope cleared her throat as she straightened. "We don't know that you're _not_in love with me," she said in a teasing tone as she threw a sexy smirk over her shoulder on her way out of the room.

Derek jumped to his feet, quick to follow her. _That_was just too much for him to resist. "What do you mean?" he asked as he entered the kitchen.

She couldn't help the grin on her face. "We don't know that you aren't crazy about me...only that we're not together. For all we know, you harbor all of this pent up lust for me."

Derek couldn't help but grin. And after seeing her in her class earlier today, those turquoise colored shorts and yellow tank barely covering her lush body, he could believe it.

And what's more…he liked the sound of it.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Well, I'm back from vacation and ready to go! Here is the next part of 'I Forgot to Say I Love You.' I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the reviews for last chapter!_

_~Angie_

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><p>Derek was relieved the rest of the team hadn't been called away on a case. He wasn't sure he'd be able to restrain himself if he had to spend the next several days with Penelope…holed up in her office while she dug into backgrounds and 'worked her magic,' waiting in vain because they <em>might <em>needed him.

He didn't trust himself after seeing her in all of her shimmying glory. Every time he'd closed his eyes Saturday night, and then Sunday, all he could picture was her in those short shorts, fitted tank (oh, if only she'd forgone her bra that day) and jeweled heels. Was the old him really not attracted to her at all? He couldn't imagine that! If he wasn't, what was _wrong _with him? Why 'Derek Morgan' had never made a move on her before now, he had no idea. But 'he' certainly didn't want to piss 'himself' off once his memory came back.

Short of coming out and asking her, there was no way to know if they had a romantic history. What if they did and she'd broken up with him? Or worse, _he'd_ broken up with _her_. He _hoped_ he wasn't that stupid.

Oh, God. What if he'd cheated on her? He didn't _think _he was that kind of guy, but really…what did he know about himself? If he asked and that was the case, things would be awkward between them, and she was the only person he had any semblance of a relationship with at the moment.

He needed to stop this line of thinking; it was really interfering with his concentration. He took a deep breath and tried to fix his eyes on the file in front of him.

"Everything OK?" Prentiss asked as she sat down at her own desk.

"No," he said shortly, leaning back in his chair as he fiddled with the pen in his hand.

"Anything I can do?"

Her tone was sincere, and Derek couldn't help but think they must be good friends. Looking at her she was certainly attractive, but not in the way his 'best friend' was. Penelope possessed the brand of sex appeal that was much more blatant. In fact, he dared say it was off the charts. Prentiss was certainly no comparison. He sighed again. "I just found out that 'Twilight' was my favorite movie," he divulged. "Which…you know…wasn't a _bad _thing." He winced. "Until I watched it."

Prentiss's bag froze in her hand before she could place it in the bottom left-hand drawer of her desk. "You watched 'Twilight?'" she asked.

He couldn't help but think she sounded shocked. "Yeah," he said.

She pursed her lips, and Derek could tell she was trying to keep herself together.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Prentiss cleared her throat before speaking. "Morgan, I…you've been had! You and Penelope had a bit of a bet going," she informed him.

"We did?" he asked hopefully. Maybe it was a naughty bet! Oooh, he'd be on board for that.

"Don't get too excited," she said dryly. "You owe her a hundred dollars."

"I owe her _what_?" he asked, slamming the pen down on his desk.

Prentiss laughed. "You bet her a hundred dollars that she'd never be able to get you to watch 'Twilight.'"

Derek's eyes widened as they flew to Penelope's office, and then back to Prentiss again. She couldn't help but laugh at his slack-jawed look. "This can't count," he said incredulously.

Prentiss shrugged. "It's not her fault you got amnesia," she reminded him. "She just took the circumstances and ran with them. I say you pay up."

Derek sat there for a minute, and then flew up out of his chair.

"What are you doing?" Prentiss asked.

"Oh," he offered in a low tone that Prentiss didn't think boded well for her tech savvy friend. "It. Is. On."

She gasped. "What are you going to do?" she asked excitedly.

Derek lifted a single eyebrow in answer before heading to Penelope's office.

* * *

><p>"What are you <em>doing<em>?" Reid asked on his way past Emily's desk. Her neck was craned in what looked to be a most uncomfortable position.

"Willing the blinds in Penelope's office to open," she answered, her gaze unwavering.

"Why?" He came to a stop beside her, following her stare.

"Derek just went in there," she told him, dropping back into her seat with a sigh.

"Does _this_ Derek have a thing for her, too?" Reid asked dryly, looking away from the office.

Emily nodded. "He does. But what's _most_ interesting…is that he seems to _know_ it."

Reid lifted his eyebrows. "An interesting development indeed," he agreed.

* * *

><p><em>To hell with 'old Derek' <em>he thought as he stalked towards Penelope's office. He was going to do the man a favor and hit on her before he regained his memory. He didn't stop to knock on the door frame, just marched on in until he was standing right behind her. He lifted his hands up to rest them on her shoulders. "What'cha doing?" he asked as his thumbs began massaging the area between her shoulder blades.

She screeched in surprise. "What are _you _doing?" she asked breathlessly as she spun around in her chair, her hand still resting on her chest in shock. "You jumped me!"

He grinned wickedly at her. "Oh, I did, did I?" he asked in a husky voice.

Penelope furrowed her brows at him. "Are you OK?" she asked.

"Of course," he answered, spinning her chair back around so she was facing her computer screen. "What are you doing?" he repeated.

"I'm…" Penelope lost her train of thought as Derek began massaging her upper back again. Normally this isn't something that would faze her, but this wasn't Derek—not the Derek she was used to, at least. This was _new_ Derek. And she wasn't so sure about _him_ yet.

_He happens to be just as hot __as old Derek, _her mind screamed.

Penelope tried again. "I'm cleaning up my hard drive," she told him, attempting to navigate the little arrow over her computer screen. She wasn't faring so well.

"Oh," he said, feigning interest. He stood there for a moment, a grin splaying across his face. He kept his gaze on her monitor, and the way she passed over the icon she needed four times before she finally clicked on it told him he'd thrown her for a loop. Good!

He leaned over, burying his face in her neck. "Mmmmm," he said as he inhaled deeply. "You smell good."

"Th—tha—thank you," she managed to squeak out.

He moved his head just right so his lips 'accidentally' grazed her neck. When he felt her jump beneath him, he suppressed a chuckle. So there _was _something there on her end. Good to know.

"Hey," JJ said, peeking her head into the office.

Derek straightened and Penelope spun, once again, around in her chair.

JJ frowned as she looked from him to Penelope. She couldn't help but notice her friends blazing cheeks as she turned to face her. "We have a case."

Penelope put her hands on the arm of her chair sprung to her feet. "Great!" she said enthusiastically as she practically sprinted toward the door. "That's _great_!"


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! :)_

* * *

><p>"So…<em>what<em> is going on with this new Morgan and our Garcia?" JJ asked as she dropped down in the seat next to Prentiss while they waited for everyone to board the jet.

"What do you mean?" Prentiss asked distractedly, her eyes glued to the file in front of her.

"When I walked into her office to let them know we had a new case, Morgan looked like he was…_sniffing_ her. And she flew up out of her seat like a rocket and practically kissed my face." JJ laughed. "Not the Garcia we know. Do you remember how much she hates blood and guts?"

Prentiss slammed the file shut. "It's like…he's doing everything _old_ Morgan didn't have the nerve to do," she commented, ignoring her friend's question.

"I don't think it was about nerve," JJ argued. "He just wanted to make sure they stayed friends."

Prentiss grinned. "Oh, I think they're about to get plenty _friendly,_" she said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

JJ wrinkled her nose. "What is _with_ you?" she asked.

"It's been too long," Prentiss admitted with a sigh, tilting her head to the side as she studied Reid, who'd just boarded. "Even Reid's starting to look good," she mumbled.

JJ lifted her hand and gave Prentiss a solid thump.

"Owww!" Prentiss said, rubbing the back of her head. "What was that for?"

"Snap out of it."

* * *

><p>As cowardly as it was, Penelope was quick to flee the conference room when the agents were done being briefed; she'd holed herself up in her office. As desperate as she was to lock the door, she resisted the urge.<p>

My _God! _Morgan…Derek—whoever the hell _that_ had been sitting across from her—had been looking at her like he…wanted to get to the center of her tootsie pop! Penelope felt herself blushing furiously at the mere thought. While everyone else had been getting briefed, it had felt like he'd been _de-_briefing her with his eyes.

_What_ was going on with him?

* * *

><p>"So what are we doing tonight?" Derek asked as he strolled into her office a few hours later.<p>

_There goes my reprieve,_ she thought immediately bristling. "Ummm…_I'm _doing laundry," she said.

Derek grinned as he sat down next to her. She had to force herself not to roll her chair away. "Great. I'm a wicked folder."

Penelope laughed nervously. "It's OK, Morgan," she said. "I know how much you hate laundry."

"I have absolutely no recollection of that," he informed her. "_This_ me…" He winked at her. "The new and _improved_ me…loves laundry!"

Penelope winced. _Oh, great._ "You have a washer and dryer," she said quickly. "You don't want to waste money at the laundry mat."

"I have a ton of money to burn. I checked my bank account balance today—"

"I know. I was the one who hacked into it for you," she said dryly. Oh, God. She was trying to appear immune to him, and Penelope had the sinking feeling she was coming across as a bitch.

"Right," he said with a nod. "Did you see how much cash I have in my savings?"

"Don't you think you should save that?" she asked him. "For a…rainy day or something?"

His grin widened. "Have you looked outside lately?" he asked.

"No, but—"

"Cats and dogs," he said.

_Just her luck._

* * *

><p>Penelope harrumphed as she wrinkled some perfectly clean clothes and tossed them into her laundry basket that evening. She couldn't believe she'd let Derek talk her into spending the evening with him. She thought after all these years she was immune to his charms! The only thing she'd ever felt more pressured for in her entire life had been sex, and she'd ended up giving into Peter Wilkerson in the backseat of his father's old Buick.<p>

It had been the worst forty seven seconds of her life.

She really needed some time away from Derek to clear her head. Sure, she'd always been attracted to him, but she'd never really thought much of it. She just assumed that _all_ women were attracted to him. That didn't mean she was going to date him. Oh, she _would _have. If he'd asked. But he never had. And she wasn't brave enough to make the first move. If she did, and he said no…she was out her best friend. It was a risk she'd never been willing to take.

And then, suddenly, there he was, standing before her, putting all of these signals out there and…tickling her neck with his nose, for God's sake! And his lips…those luscious pink lips that she'd been thinking about for years. She couldn't even begin to count the number of times she'd dreamt about them. But _every_ _**single**_ time, her alarm would go off just before they could touch hers. And today, they'd been just a few inches away…

Except…it wasn'treally Derek sending out these signals. It was only someone who looked like him. And she would serve herself well to remember that. When _real _Derek reappeared, he wouldn't be happy if she'd mucked up there friendship.

* * *

><p>Well, one thing that he and old Derek apparently had in common was that they both hated doing laundry. But he'd been so bored lately that he'd stayed right on top of it. It's not like there was much else for him to do. There wasn't a dirty dish in the sink, and his floors had probably never been so clean. There was the weight room in the basement, but just the thought was just too exhausting. He'd been steering clear of that!<p>

They both liked hanging out with Penelope, too. The woman had an amazing sense of humor and infinite patience. She answered every question he'd asked about himself (and there had been a _lot_) without a hint of frustration. Occasionally her cheeks would turn pink—apparently he'd been quite naughty—and she'd giggle. He found it endearing. And once again, he wondered what the hell was wrong with himself that he'd never hit on her before now.

With a sigh, Derek decided the last thing he wanted to do tonight was laundry—especially if he was going to be with Penelope. He ran upstairs, grabbed a hand full of clean clothes from his laundry basket, then ran back downstairs and strewed them haphazardly around his living room. That should do it.

With that, he left for Penelope's, stopping only to pick up a movie on the way.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! ~ Angie_

* * *

><p>Penelope had a niggling feeling in the back of her mind that there was going to be a turning point in her friendship with Derek tonight. She had no idea where the feeling came from and she refused to dissect it.<p>

She'd picked up the phone three times to call him and plead headache, but what was the point? She'd have to see him Monday morning, and she knew that whatever was about to happen wouldn't call for an audience.

She'd just put on a swipe of lip gloss over her lilac colored lipstick when the doorbell rang. After rubbing her lips together, she grabbed the laundry basket full of clean, crumpled clothes, and then made her way downstairs to the entryway. Putting the basket down, she opened the front door…and nearly let out a low whistle.

Derek was wearing black denim, which she'd seen him in dozens of times before, but never coupled with a crisp white button up shirt. The cuffs were rolled up so they rested on his forearms, and the first few buttons were undone, revealing a light sprinkle of hair where the shirt vee'd. And that denim…oh, that denim. It looked like it had been tailored to fit him. Sweet Lord! Men like him were the reason jeans had been created.

She had no idea how long she'd stood there staring at him (her mouth gaping, no less.) But when he finally spoke, it jumped her. "You OK?" he asked.

When she lifted her eyes to his, she could see the amusement sparkling in their chocolate depths. "I'm fine," she said with a smidgen of defiance.

Derek nodded, and she could tell he was fighting a grin. _Bastard. Even _this _Derek knew the affect he had on women. _

She went to grab her laundry basket, but before she could, he swept the light brown wicker up in his arms. "Got it," he said.

She nodded dumbly and then followed him out to his vehicle, getting in on the passenger's side while he put her basket in the back.

* * *

><p>"The…laundromat…is the other way," she said when he pulled out of her driveway and turned right.<p>

"We're not going to the laundromat," he told her.

"Then, where…?"

"It occurred to me earlier that it's silly for you to pay to do your laundry when I have a washer and dryer at my place," he commented.

"Derek, I'm not gonna use your washer and dryer," she informed him.

"Why not?" he wanted to know.

"Because that would be taking advantage of you, and I'm not going to do that."

"Come on," he teased with a wink. "Take advantage of me. You know you want to."

_That was beside the point_, Penelope thought. "But—"

"I rented a movie for us," he continued. "Beats sitting at the laundromat thumbing through magazines."

She really couldn't argue with that bit of truth.

* * *

><p>It had been a decent evening, as far as evenings went. Just like old times…hanging out with her buddy Derek. So Penelope couldn't understand the morsel of disappointment that reared its ugly head as he pulled into her driveway later that night, her clean clothes folded in the back and even cleaner now.<p>

"Thanks, Derek," she said as his vehicle came to a stop.

"Anytime," he assured her.

She nodded awkwardly, and then opened her door and got out of the vehicle. She heard his door close as he got out; he beat her to the rear and opened it, grabbing her basket again. "I'll get this for ya," he said, following her as she led the way to her house.

Once inside, she hung her keys on the hook by the door and took her coat off, hanging it up as well. When she turned around, Derek was staring at her intently.

"Are we going to do this forever?" he asked softly.

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

Derek chuckled. "Skirt around this…whatever it is between us."

She quirked a brow at him. "Friendship?" she asked uncertainly.

"It's a hell of a lot more than friendship, Penelope, and you know it."

"That's not true," she argued. "Derek, I know you don't get it, but you're my best friend and—"

"Stop it," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"You think I don't see that fiery look in your eyes?" he pressed. "You want me, Penelope."

"Wha…?" Penelope resisted the urge to close her traitorous eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about. Every damn time we're in a room together, it's electric."

Penelope laughed nervously. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she denied.

"Yes, you do," he argued. "You—"

"Derek," she said firmly, cutting him off. "Somewhere behind those eyes is your memory. My best friend's memory. And I owe it to him…to keep our friendship…to keep _this_…the way it's always been."

"Pent up lust?" he asked harshly. "What the hell good is that doing anyone?"

She shrugged. "If that's even what it was."

"You're a coward, Penelope Garcia," he told her.

"I—"

"I think you owe it to your best friend to see where this could go. The things I'm feeling for you—the way my body reacts when you walk into a room—that didn't happen overnight."

"Derek…I can't do this. I can't take advantage of this situation and let you do something that you might regret! When you get your memory back, it's going to be awkward enough that we even had this conversation."

Derek stepped forward and seized her wrist, pulling her hand up and placing it over his racing heart. "Do you feel that, Penelope?" he asked.

She nodded weakly.

"That's what my heart does every time I see you," he said softly. "Every time you walk into the room. You want to know the first time it happened?"

She didn't say anything, just stood there with her gaze locked on his.

"It happened the very first time you walked into my hospital room. Before I even _knew_ who you were," he reminded her. "If you don't want this to happen, you're going to have to push me away."

"Derek…" she said weakly. As his head came down, a million thoughts swam through her mind. She knew she should push him away, knew she couldn't let this happen. But God, she didn't have the strength to fight it. So she did the only thing she could. "Please…" She begged as tears sprung to her eyes. But she wasn't sure if she was begging for him to stop…or to continue.

Instead of kissing her, he lowered his forehead to hers. "Don't cry, Princess," he said tenderly, lifting his hands to wipe away her tears.

The endearment and the gesture were so inherently _him_ that Penelope couldn't help it. She sunk against him.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I'm behind on answering my reviews, so my apologies! I'm going to remedy that right now. In the meantime, enjoy…_

_~ Angie_

* * *

><p>The moment she fell against him, Derek knew she was his. She might not know it yet, but he was certain. He lowered his lips to hers, and though his mind tried to coax him into taking it slow, the rest of him wasn't listening. His tongue drove forward for hers, and he couldn't hold back a groan. She tasted sweeter than he'd imagined, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been waiting for this moment for a long time instead of mere weeks. And, dammitt, he didn't want to rush it!<p>

As he kissed her, he forced himself to take it all in: her soft breasts crushed against his chest as her arms wrapped around him, her lower body pressing against his erection, squirming as if it could get closer. Well, there was only one way for _that_ to happen. Derek rested a hand on her thigh, skimming down over the soft fabric of her skirt until he met her bare leg. When he reached her knee, he moved his hand around to the back, lifting her leg until it was resting just below his waist. She wriggled against him again, and Derek couldn't help but chuckle. "If you keep doing that, I'm not going to last long," he said in a low, deep drawl as he broke the kiss.

"It's OK," she assured him breathlessly, tipping her head back as his lips moved from her jaw to her neck. "Neither am I."

On the one hand, she wanted this to last forever, because it was _Derek_, for God's sake! But on the other, she wanted it over quickly before she could change her mind. This opportunity might not present itself again, and now that she'd decided she was going to do it, she certainly didn't want to miss out!

"Oooh," she said, when he reached beneath her shirt. His touch was gentle as he gave her waist a light squeeze before moving around to her back. Splaying his palm against her flesh, he pulled her closer. "Derek," she said breathlessly.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

Penelope took a step backward and looked down at her shirt, her eyes widening. She hadn't even realized he'd been working on getting her out of it, but there her turquoise colored bra was for both of them to see. She smiled softly at him and reached for his hand, then led him to the stairs.

_If you're going to back out, Penelope Garcia, this would be a good time to do it! _her mind warned as they made their way to her bedroom.

"Shut up," she mouthed silently. Sometimes she really hated her conscience! She already knew this was wrong; she already knew she shouldn't be doing it. But as the war between her body and mind took place, she had to admit, her throbbing core had a damn good point. And besides, it was already official: her body had won this battle.

She pushed her bedroom door open and preceded him in, turning around just before she reached the bed. She opened the last fastened button on her shirt, and slid it down over her shoulders, then unzipped the back of her skirt and let it slither down her legs, falling in a heap at her feet. Derek's gaze made her jittery inside. _That_ was nothing new. But knowing he was make it worthwhile was, and suddenly Penelope's entire body was covered in goose bumps.

Derek stepped forward, taking in her turquoise bra and bright yellow panties. His first thought was that they needed to go, so he reached around and unhooked her bra, pulling it slowly down over her shoulders and arms with his fingertips. Once that was gone, he knelt before her, hooking his fingers under the waistband of her panties and sliding them down over her legs. The moisture on the fabric made him grin triumphantly—it appeared she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

He cupped her ankle, his hand slowly ascending until it reached the inside of her thigh. "Derek…" she whimpered.

"What?" he asked halfheartedly.

He drew an invisible circle on her flesh and she shivered as her nails dug into his shoulder.

"Please don't make me wait," she begged. "I've already waited for _so_ long."

He sprung to his feet, undone by her begging. He rid himself swiftly of his own clothes, and moved to follow her onto the bed. She immediately reached between them, her hand encircling his erection. She lifted her eyes to his and quirked a brow. "Pretty damn impressive," she said.

"Complimenting a man's equipment," Derek said in a strained voice. "That's at least a point."

"Keeping score are we?" she teased.

Derek smirked. "What would be the point? I'm going to make sure we _both_ win." His thumb and forefinger clasped her wrist and she let her grip go. He lifted his eyes to hers as his lips pressed a soft kiss into the crease of her elbow, eliciting another shiver. Then, before she knew it, he had her arms pinned out to her sides as he positioned himself between her legs.

"Penelope—"

Before he could finish the thought, her hips shot up off the mattress and they both groaned as he filled her. As wet as she already was, her body still had to stretch to accommodate his.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, his gaze on her hers. But he hadn't missed a beat.

Penelope shook her head fervently. "Let me go," she said desperately. "Let me go."

He let go of her wrists and her hands immediately lifted to his upper back, gliding down over his flesh until she was cupping his ass. "Faster, Derek," she commanded impatiently.

He was quick to comply, and every time he slammed into her it brought her closer to the edge. She lifted her hips, meeting his with every thrust. Her body constricted, and she could feel him pulsating inside of her. Thank God he was close, too.

"Penelope."

The sound of her name on his lips—so thick and laced with passion—sent her spiraling out of control just as he exploded inside of her.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews for last chapter!_

_~ Angie_

* * *

><p>"You did <em>what<em>?" Emily asked in disbelief, her scrambled egg laden fork suspended halfway to her mouth.

JJ burst out laughing. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"No!" Penelope said desperately. "I just…got dressed, primped a smidge, and then left."

Emily shook her head as she chewed thoughtfully. "_This _is why I don't bring one night stands home," she informed Penelope, pointing her fork at her friend to emphasize her point. "Too awkward. I mean...I'm not into cuddling, so what do I do? Ask him to _leave_?"

The women had a long standing tradition of Saturday morning brunch providing they were all in town. It would have been easy not to tell them that she'd slept with Derek. In fact, that had been the original plan. And she _had _held out. For all of four minutes and twenty two seconds. Then the dam burst, and the information came tumbling out of her mouth.

Neither woman had seemed that shocked, which bothered Penelope a little bit. If they'd suspected this was going to happen, they could have at least had the decency to clue her in! That way at least she—the one who _really_ should have been in the know—wouldn't have been taken so surprised by it all.

"What are you going to say when you get back?" JJ asked, taking a dainty sip of her orange juice.

"Uh…I'm hoping _nothing_," Penelope returned. "Hopefully he'll be gone by the time I get back."

"And if he's not?" Prentiss prompted.

Penelope sighed as she stabbed at the sausage link on her plate. "Then I'll circle the block all damn day until he is," she practically snapped.

"Well, you're in luck," Prentiss said, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "He isn't there."

Penelope nearly sighed in relief before logic sunk in. "How do you—"

She almost jumped out of her skin at the soft kiss on her cheek. "Morning, Babe," Derek said, sitting in the only vacant chair at the table. It happened to be right next to _her_.

"Good morning," Penelope squeaked as his knee brushed against hers.

Neither Emily nor JJ had the decorum to even pretend they weren't interested. They looked from Derek to Penelope as the two spoke. "Did you sleep OK?" Derek asked nonchalantly as he picked up the menu and began perusing.

"Fine," she said. Eyes wide, she looked at JJ. _What the fuck? _she mouthed.

JJ's grin widened and when Penelope realized she wasn't going to get any help from her friends, she cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping she sounded more polite than accusing. On the one hand, who in the hell did he think he was practically advertising they'd slept together? On the other, he looked handsome as hell. He was wearing the same thing he'd had on last night, only now it was all rumpled. And dammitt, the bastard had sexy written all over him!

"Hungry," he answered distractedly, eyes not leaving the menu. "Got quite the workout last night."

Emily's jaw dropped and she nodded in appreciation, giving her friend the thumbs up.

Penelope was amazed her head didn't explode. Clearly she and Derek needed to converse with_out_ an audience. "Can I talk to you for a moment? _Alone_?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"No," he said firmly. "Not until I've eaten."

_Stubborn son of a bitch! _she thought. Well…there was another way to remedy this situation. She pulled her foot back and swung it forward, the toe of her pump connecting with Emily's shin.

"Owww!" Emily hissed. "What the…?"

JJ stood abruptly. "We should go," she said exaggeratedly. "Don't you think, Emily?"

The last thing Emily _wanted_ was to miss her front row seat to the Derek and Penelope show, but the last thing she _needed _was another bruised shin. "Sure," she agreed reluctantly, and then grinned broadly. "Call me later."

Penelope watched as her friends headed for the counter to pay, then turned on Derek. "What in the hell are you doing?" she hissed.

"I don't take being left alone the morning after lightly," he said, finally putting his menu down on the table in front of him. "Coffee, please," he snapped at the passing waitress, and then focused on Penelope once again.

"Oh, that much is clear," she said. "How did you even find me?"

"I called that guy…Kevin Lynch. He's number eleven on our speed dial," Derek reminded her. "Hotch said to call him if we ever couldn't get a hold of you, and you weren't answering."

Penelope could feel her cheeks getting red with anger. "I don't think that's quite what he meant, Derek," she said. "And you're sort of sidestepping the question."

"He tracked your cell phone for me," he told her.

"He…oh, he is in _so_ much trouble!" Penelope spat.

"Oh…by the way, you left these with me," he said, reaching into his pocket. Her bright yellow thongs landed soundlessly on the table at the same time the waitress appeared with his coffee, and Penelope resisted the urge to smack him. The poor young woman was blushing like crazy, her hand shaking as she placed her coffee in front of him and then practically sprinted away.

She snagged the small piece of clothing off the table and stuffed it into her purse. "We were at _my_ house last night," she reminded him. "Of course my panties were with you! What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Well they were around _my _ankle when I woke up this morning," he snapped.

Penelope's eyes widened and she stood hastily, causing her chair to scrape loudly across the floor. It was enough to draw even more attention to their little squabble. "The Derek Morgan _I _know is big on one night stands," she informed him. "I'd hoped you were, too."

"Not on your life," he shot back.

With a glare, Penelope turned on her heel and left the restaurant. If Derek wanted to be a jerk, he could damn well buy her breakfast!

* * *

><p>Derek didn't know what the hell had gotten into him. He'd woken up ready to go another round with her, and when he'd realized she wasn't there, anger had flashed furiously through his entire being. He'd tried not to be angry, but he couldn't stop it. It was almost like a force that was bigger than him.<p>

He knew he was being unreasonable; it wasn't like they'd set any expectations for this morning. They'd simply engaged in a mind blowing consensual moment. Or _moments_, as the case may be. She was right. He'd had no ground going in there and making a scene. But that was exactly what he'd done. He had an idea that Derek—_real _Derek—would be pissed as hell at him for that. Well, real Derek was going to have to get over it.

And _this _Derek, whoever he was, was going to have to apologize to Penelope for being such a dick. Dammitt!


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review last chapter! _

_~ Angie_

* * *

><p>By the time Penelope made it back to her place, she'd finally calmed down and gained a bit of perspective. While she still wasn't very happy that he'd announced they were sleeping together to their colleagues like that (even though she'd beat him to the punch,) it was something she could get over.<p>

When she heard footsteps on her porch, she flew to the door and flung it open. "I'm sorry," she said at the same time Derek did. She frowned. "What are_ you _sorry for?" she asked.

Derek grinned sheepishly. "The thong thing."

"Oh," Penelope said, having almost forgotten about that little incident. "Yeah. You should be sorry for that."

"So why are _you_ sorry?" he asked, moving past her and into the house.

Penelope closed the door behind him with a heavy sigh. "Because I forget that even though you look like my best friend and even though you technically _are _my best friend, you don't _act _like my best friend."

Derek gave her a confused look.

"I've been treating you like Derek."

He grinned at her. "You mean you were sleeping with him, _too_? You cheatin' on me?" he teased.

Penelope laughed as she lightly smacked his chest. "No," she said with a nervous laugh. "But I know my best friend. And he doesn't stick around for the morning after. _Ever. _Unless he wants another round."

"So you left before I could?" he asked softly, his hand circling her wrist and pulling her closer until he could wrap his arms around her waist.

"Maybe," she conceded.

Derek frowned. "You're not painting me in a very flattering light," he pointed out.

"I don't mean to offend you. I love you, I really do," she said matter-of-factly. "But when you—" She stopped when he squeezed her tightly. "What?" she asked.

"You just said you love me," he informed her.

Penelope felt her cheeks heat instantly. "I meant as a _friend,_" she clarified.

Derek scoffed. "Yeah. A _sex _friend."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Honest to God," she said, trying to extricate herself. "You really do have Derek tendencies," she told him. "Would you _please_ let go of me?"

Derek took it as a really good sign that in zero to ten, he could make her hot under the collar. "Nope," he said.

"Derek—"

"Are we going to stand here and fight all damn day or are we going to start having sex again?" he interrupted.

Penelope studied his face for a moment before her lips began twitching.

"Sex," they said at the same time, and then raced for the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Are you judging me?" Penelope asked her friends Monday morning at work as they congregated in her office over coffee.<p>

"Absolutely not," JJ said gently.

"Yes," Emily said at the same time.

"Emily!" JJ scolded.

Emily just grinned. "I judge her for not sleeping with him sooner," she informed her friend.

"Oh," JJ said, and then, scrunching up her nose, she looked at Penelope. "I might judge you a little, too," she admitted.

"Well it's not like you ever weighed in on the situation before," Penelope snapped.

"Whoa," Emily said, holding her empty hand up in a gesture of surrender. "For someone who's getting laid, I would expect a _much _better disposition."

"I would, too," JJ agreed, and then gasped. "Do you suppose it's because Derek Morgan's sexual prowess isn't all it's cracked up to be?"

"Maybe," Emily remarked.

"That's it," Penelope said, throwing her hands in the air and then spinning her chair around so she was facing her monitor again. "I'm never talking to either one of you again."

Emily and JJ smiled at each other before doing damage control. "I just want you to think long term," Emily, always the voice of reason, said.

"What do you mean?" Penelope asked, turning her chair back around.

"Well, aside from the emotional ramifications, think of the physical…say, for instance, Derek gets his memory back."

JJ and Penelope both listened intently as Emily went on.

"You guys keep dating…"

Penelope had to admit, she liked the thought of _that._

"And then…his whole sexual…routine changes—"

"Oh," Penelope said steadfastly. "Don't worry about _that_. He doesn't have a routine. That's one of the things that make him so good."

"Right _now_," Emily reminded her. "But when he gets his memory back…" She let her voice trail off.

Penelope gave her a dirty look. "I think you're toying with me. And for your information, it's not just what he does, it's what. He. Has. He has the biggest, thickest co—"

"_I _have to see if we're needed anywhere at this very moment," JJ said, jumping out of her seat and practically running out of the office.

Penelope couldn't help but grin. "Imagine if she _saw _it."

Emily couldn't hold back a grin. "Remember two minutes ago? When you were never going to speak to us again?"

Penelope giggled. "You know me. I can never resist cock talk."

Emily sat down next to her friend. "And it _is _good…right?" she asked in a low voice.

"_So_ good, Emily," Penelope told her, then sighed heavily. "But so unfair to him."

"Why?" Emily asked. "He's _obviously_ willing."

"Because…" Penelope said sadly. "The man I'm sleeping with…is _not _the man I'm sleeping with."

Prentiss frowned.

"I want Derek, Emily," Penelope said. "And I'm using _this _guy to get what I want." Penelope dropped her head on the counter and banged lightly a few times. "I am such a horrible person."

Prentiss patted her friend on the shoulder."Oh, sweetie," she said feelingly. "Better horrible than horny."

Penelope lifted her head and gave her friend a dirty look. "Emily Prentiss, sometimes I hate you."

* * *

><p>Emily walked out of her friend's office with a bit of a smirk on her face. While she certainly felt sorry for Penelope's plight, she was able to see the humor in the situation.<p>

After years of banter and flirting, Penelope Garcia had finally given in to Derek Morgan, and because of it, all hell would inevitably break loose.

"What in the hell took you so long?" Derek hissed as soon as she rounded the corner, jumping in her path to block her.

"Derek, relax," she said, then froze in her tracks, peering at him unblinkingly. That tone belonged to one person and one person only. "_Derek?_" she said again.

"In the fuckin' flesh," he snapped.

"Oh, damn,"Emily said.

Here came hell.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter! Your response was amazing!_

_Here's the next installment. Enjoy!_

_~ Angie_

* * *

><p>"Oh, holy hell," Prentiss said, marching down the hall into the conference room with Morgan hot on her heels. She rounded on him as soon as she heard the door close. "Did you get your memory back <em>before <em>or after you slept with her?" she asked.

"After," Derek said.

Emily sighed. "Oh, good."

"_And _before."

"_What_?" Emily asked, all sense of relief flying out the window.

"It couldn't be helped," Derek muttered.

"What do you mean 'it couldn't be helped?'" she asked shrilly.

"Well she was doing this cute little striptease, and when she slid out of her panties—"

Prentiss held up her hands. "Forget I asked."

"Ooooooooh, God, Morgan. This is _not _good."

"You're telling me," he said. "I get my memory back, and this bastard who's been inhabiting my body has been banging my best friend!"

Prentiss glared at him. "It didn't seem to bother you while she was sliding out of her panties!" she snapped.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about that."

Prentiss groaned. She really hated Morgan's wit sometimes—this was one of those times. "How are you going to tell her you're memory is back?" she asked.

"Oh, that's easy," he answered. "I'm not."

"What?" she asked.

"If I tell her I have my memory back now, she'll hate me forever!"

"If you wait any longer and _don't_ tell her now_,_ she'll hate you longer than forever."

"I have to wait."

"For what?" Emily fairly shrieked.

Derek sighed. "For her to fall in love with me."

"Newsflash, Morgan!"

"She's not in love with _me,_" he said. "She's in love with a different version of me."

"Oh, my God," Emily said with a sigh, leaning back against the conference table with her head in her hands. "Instant headache. This might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Morgan, are you listening to yourself? This is ridiculous. You're jealous...of _you_!"

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" he shot back. "I've tried for years to get things with Penelope up and going, and she never took me seriously. One look at this guy, and boom! He's charmed her between the sheets so fast it would have made _my _head spin."

"Oh, my God! Oh, my _God_," Prentiss said wearily. "At the risk of Penelope trying to stab me in my sleep…she was using him to get to _you,_ Derek," she informed him. She was fully aware of how screwed up this situation was, but since it wasn't _her_ situation, there wasn't much she could do. And if Derek saw it, he certainly wasn't admitting it. "She's going to find out anyway when you get clearance to join us in the field again. You need to go see Hotch right now and tell him you have your memory back."

"Are you crazy?" Derek asked. Now that a long term relationship with Penelope was possibly within his grasp, he couldn't do anything that might fuck that up.

"You…oh, for God's sake. You're not going to tell Hotch that you have your memory back, are you?" she asked.

Derek cleared his throat. "Not yet," he answered.

"Morgan, I will do a lot of things for you, but I will not lie to Hotch for you!"

"I'm not asking you to," he said quickly. "I'm just…asking...you...to…not mention me at all."

Prentiss groaned. "I hate this day," she said. "You know, a few minutes ago, I was enjoying some nice girl talk with JJ and Garcia, and now, here I am, in the middle of a frickin explosion with _you!_"

"Emily, please," Derek said sincerely.

"Do you love her Morgan? Because if you love her…" Emily took a deep breath. "I will do this for you. But if you're just doing this so you can get between her legs, I swear to God—"

"I love her," he said decisively.

Emily stood there for a moment before letting her breath out. "Then hurry the hell up and prove it to her."

* * *

><p>"Oh, God," Penelope whimpered later that evening as her naked body squirmed beneath his. He tugged on her ear with his teeth, one hand between her legs stroking her center as his other splayed gently over her neck. "Now, Derek…please," she begged.<p>

But he couldn't; for the first time in his life, Derek Morgan couldn't rise to the occasion. And he knew exactly what it was: He was lying to Penelope…something he'd never done before. And it was fucking with his psyche…not to mention his dick.

He certainly hadn't wanted to tell her like this, but he was left with no other choice. Prentiss was right. If he didn't come clean with Penelope now, there was a chance that she might never forgive him.

And that was something that Derek wouldn't be able to live with.

With a sigh, he rolled over onto his back and threw his arm over his head. "Penelope," he ground out. "There's something I have to tell you."

She propped herself up onto one elbow and looked down at him. "What is it?" she asked breathlessly.

His eyes fell to the rapid rise and fall of her chest as he chose his next words carefully.

She put a hand under his chin and lifted it so their eyes met. "My eyes are up here, Derek," she said teasingly.

He studied her face for a moment before reaching up and pulling her head down to his. The thought of never tasting her again was just too much. He thrust his tongue forward, searching desperately for hers. When he found it, he caressed gently, forcing himself to go slowly as he savored the moment. He wanted to remember this…wanted _her _to remember it amidst the fury he was convinced was on its way. His hand travelled slowly down the soft skin of her back before stopping to rest on her waist.

"Penelope," he said, his voice muffled from their kiss. She pulled away, elevating herself with the hand on his chest, and looked down at him questioningly.

Something wasn't right. Derek _never _talked this much during sex. Well, not thiskind of conversation, anyway.

"What?" she asked guardedly.

His free hand clasped her wrist as he held her gaze. "It's _me_," he said softly. "It…it's Morgan."

He watched her eyes widen as clarity set in.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy this final installment of the story!_

_I have to tell you, there was lots of talking as I was writing this chapter! I kept saying the sentences aloud to make sure they 'flowed.' LOL_

_Special thanks again to Kricket Williams who suggested the clichéd plot 'Lacunar' amnesia!_

_And to you…thank you for reading this one…I hope you enjoyed it!_

_~Angie_

* * *

><p>Well, that certainly took care of <em>one<em> problem, Derek thought, as he felt the area below his waist finally spring to life.

"You…" Penelope pulled back as if she'd been burned, interrupting his thoughts. "Derek?" she shrieked.

"Penelope, _listen_ to me," he said softly, reaching for her. But the woman was damn fast when she wanted to be! She practically floundered across the mattress, throwing herself over the side and landing ungracefully on her feet. She made a grab for the sheet, but he was too quick, giving it a solid tug until he'd freed it from her grasp. "You're not running this time," he informed her with a quirk of his brow.

She made the mistake of looking at the door before actually heading for it. In a much more agile fashion, Derek vaulted off the bed and beat her to it, slamming it shut and launching himself in front of it.

"Dammitt!" she said.

He gave her a challenging look.

"At least give me _something_ to put on!" she screeched, strategically shielding herself as best she could with her hands and arms.

"I've seen it before," he reminded her.

And of course, he had. But in a way that she couldn't explain, Penelope was suddenly self conscious. Up until now, he hadn't been able to remember all of the perfect tens he'd been with. Now that he could, she wasn't sure she'd measure up, and she didn't even want to try.

And to top it all off, her damn clothes were littered up and down his staircase. That certainly didn't help her right now! "Derek!" she warned.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "Take a few steps back."

"What?" she asked.

"I'm not going to move away from the door so you can make your escape," he snapped. "I'm not an idiot."

With a sigh, Penelope did as he'd instructed and took a few steps back.

Derek stalked angrily towards a tall cherry dresser placed against the wall and gave it a solid tug until there was a large gap there. "There," he said, pointing to the spot behind the dresser.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You want to cover up? You can stand behind the damn dresser!"

"Why can't I have the sheet?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because you can walk down the street covered in Egyptian cotton. I _doubt_ you'll be able to carry my dresser all the way home with you."

The bastard did have a point, but she stood glaring at him anyway.

"It's that or nothing, Sweetheart. And to tell ya the truth, _I'm_ enjoyin' the view."

Penelope scurried her way behind the dresser, glad to have something finally separating them. Luckily it stopped just above her breasts, so she didn't have to worry about _that. _

Of course now that that was taken care of, she had bigger fish to fry. "Derek Morgan, _when _did you get your memory back?" she demanded.

"Yesterday," he answered with a sigh as he returned to the bed and plopped down onto it, arms behind his head, his legs crossed at the ankles.

Penelope glanced at the door again and wondered if she could beat him to it.

"Don't even think about it," he growled.

She rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do, Derek? Hold me hostage?" she asked accusingly.

"No," he assured her. "You are free to go anytime you want."

She lifted a brow at him. "_Really_?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes," he answered. "As long as you can beat me to the door, you are free to go."

She was already fuming because she was trapped naked in a room with Derek, but to see him looking so calm and relaxed as he lay there only added to her ire.

"_When_ yesterday?" she pressed. "Before or after we slept together?"

"Which time?" he shot back.

"Derek!"

He sighed. "Right before the last time."

"Oh, my God," she said lowering her forehead to the top of the dresser and banging it lightly a few times before meeting his gaze again. "I _stripped _for you!"

He grinned shamelessly at her. "I know," he said in a husky voice. "And it was fuckin' sexy."

She winced. "Oh, my God."

"What's the big deal?" he asked. "You saw _me _naked."

She gave him a dirty look. "That is _so _not the same thing! Half of the women in this city have seen you naked!" she reminded him.

Derek had to laugh at that. It wastrue.

"Only one man has seen me! There are probably naked pictures of _you_ on the internet somewhere," she muttered.

"Been looking?" he teased.

"No!" she exclaimed, her cheeks heating. But only because she hadn't thought of it until now.

His eyes narrowed as he processed her previous comment. "Who?" he asked.

"Who _what_?" she returned confused.

"Who in this city has seen you naked?" he clarified.

"You!" she answered shrilly.

"Oh," he said, pleased with her answer.

Penelope sighed. "What am I doing here, Derek?"

"Ummm…getting ready to have sex?"

"I'm not having sex with you!" she argued.

He shrugged. "Your choice. Of course, it _would _get you out of this room."

"Derek, please," she said.

"I'll make a deal with you," he said.

"What kind of deal?" Penelope asked. She really was up for anything at this point—except for sleeping with him—that would get her out of this room.

"I want you to answer a few questions for me."

"Derek…"

"For every question you answer, you get to take a step towards the door."

She looked at the door and considered. She could make it in about three steps if she took really big ones. It might actually be worth it. "You won't stop me from leaving?" she asked.

"I won't stop you from leaving," he promised.

She pursed her lips as she nodded.

"First question...why did you sleep with him? I mean _me._"

In true Morgan fashion, he wasn't pulling any punches. "I can't answer that," she said softly.

"I didn't say they'd be easy questions," he reminded her.

She took a deep breath. "Derek. I can't…stand here like _this _and answer your questions."

"I'm sorry," Derek said his tone thick with emotion. "But I can't let you go."

Penelope blinked a few times, unsure if the catch she'd heard in his voice was real or imagined. Either way, it made her _wish_ she had the answer for him. "If you get my clothes and let me get dressed, Derek, I promise I won't bolt."

He studied her face for a moment, wanting to believe her.

"I won't spend the night," she said honestly. "But I'm not gonna just take off, Derek."

He nodded after a moment, satisfied that she was telling him the truth and then disappeared from the room to gather her things.

When he finally returned, he placed her clothes on top of the dresser and she clothed herself quickly before making her way to the bed and sitting at the foot of it. Fortunately, Derek had taken the opportunity to put his boxers back on. It would make focusing on this conversation _much_ easier.

"What was it about him?" Derek asked, rephrasing the question.

Penelope sighed as she looked down at her hands. "I don't know, Derek," she told him. "It was…" She shook her head. "It was my way of getting to _be_ with you without actually having to _be_ with you," she said, lifting her eyes to his.

"What does that _mean_?" he asked. But his voice wasn't accusing at all; it was genuinely curious, and Penelope's heart nearly broke at his earnestness.

"I never wanted the 'morning after' with you, Derek," she said softly. "But…that didn't mean I didn't want _you. _He was—_this…_was…my way of…getting what I wanted. For a short time anyway…without having to pay the consequences." She sighed as the enormity of her dishonesty engulfed her. "I can't think of a better way to word this, Derek, and even if I could, it would still paint me in a bad light—which I deserve. I used _him_ to get what I wanted from _you_."

"Penelope—"

"I knew he wouldn't leave me, Derek, because I was all he had," she said miserably.

"_I_," he said softly.

"What?" she asked as tears pricked the back of her eyes.

"You were all _I _had," he corrected her repositioning himself so he was lying on his belly, his head at the same end of the bed she was now. "And you know what?"

"What?" she asked.

"You're all I _want_," he said sincerely.

"Stop it," she pleaded.

"I'm not mad," he told her.

"Well, you should be!"

"That would make it easy for you, wouldn't it?" he asked softly. "If I drove you away?"

She closed her eyes as she nodded, a tear falling down each cheek. She felt the warm pad of his thumb as he swiped away the one closest to him.

"Well that's too damn bad, Baby Girl. You can't _force_ me to be mad at you. And it wouldn't be fair if I was. I used him, too."

"What do you mean?" she asked, echoing his earlier question.

He shrugged. "I _knew_ you were too scared to date me. And I knew if I told you that I was _me _again_, _then I might not get another chance to be with you. So I used _him_ to get to you, too."

"It's not the same, Derek," she said. "I'd already taken advantage of you, and—"

Derek chuckled. "Penelope, I can assure you that you have _never _taken advantage of me. In bed _or _out of it."

She didn't say anything, just sat there for a moment unblinking.

"There _is_ one thing I can give you that he didn't," Derek said, thinking how odd it was to be referring to himself in the third person.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"The words. _I _love you, Penelope."

"Derek…"

He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together, squeezing gently. "I have for a long time. You just weren't ready to hear it."

"I'm still not," she admitted.

"Well you're gonna have to _get_ ready," he told her, his lips twitching. "Because I won't let you use me just for my body."

Penelope laughed softly at his teasing. "I _do _love you, too, Derek," she said. "But it can never work with us."

"OK," he said, releasing her hand as he sat up. "You tell me why you think it won't work and I'll tell you why you're wrong."

She sighed. "Well, for one thing, you're _you_ for less than twenty four hours and we end up naked-fighting."

He grinned at her. "Too easy. Naked making up."

"OK," she said. "We _work_ together—"

"So do Prentiss and Reid, and they're doing just fine."

Penelope sighed. "You're going to get tired of me, and—"

"Never gonna happen," he cut in.

Penelope sighed. "Derek…" Her voice trailed off brokenly.

"Penelope," he said firmly. "At _some _point, you are going to _have _to trust someone. Now, _I'm_ hoping it's gonna be me, but I can't make that happen. So _you _tell _me _how it's gonna be."

Penelope sat there for a minute gazing into the eyes of the man she loved. There was a mixture of hope and adoration there that was so palpable she almost forgot to breathe.

And it was then she knew…she really didn't _have _a choice. "I'm gonna trust _you_," she said unwaveringly.

Derek reached up and pushed a lock of stray hair behind her ear as a broad grin graced his features. "Music to my ears, Baby Girl."

*******THE END*******


	13. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

* * *

><p><em>Six weeks later…<em>

"So…" Penelope said softly as she walked into the kitchen. "I was thinking maybe we could watch 'Twilight' tonight?" she suggested hopefully as she tilted her head to the side so she could fully enjoy the view of her boyfriend's backside. He was tightening the hinges on one of her cupboards; apparently his OCD was worse than hers was, and he couldn't stand the uneven angle of the door.

He shook his head. "Not a chance in hell, Baby Girl."

"OK," she said sweetly…_too_ sweetly.

"Penelope…" he said in a warning voice without turning around.

"It's just…I'm…" She sighed. "It's so _hot_ out today…don't you think?" she asked.

"It is," he agreed as he leaned back just enough to close the door. It was perfectly straight, and Derek smiled at his handiwork.

Penelope had obviously decided to drop the subject of that stupid movie, and he was glad. He'd be damned if he was _ever_ going to watch it again in this lifetime.

He lowered himself off the kitchen counter and put the Phillips-head back in the little pink container she called a toolbox. "What are we gonna do for sup—" Derek turned around and promptly lost all ability to form words. "Penelope," he tried to say, his voice strangled.

"So…I think I'm going to watch the movie in _this_," she said as a sexy grin spread across her face. She lifted her hand to her mouth and ran her index finger leisurely along her plump lower lip.

His eyes travelled the length of her body, and he instantly grew hard. Derek liked to think he was schooled in the area of women's lingerie, but even _he _had no idea what to call this. Her cherry red bra…if you could call it that…appeared to be a simple shelf for her bare breasts to rest upon. The only fabric the garment consisted of was on the undersides of her breasts, giving them a nice lift while pushing them together. Nestled low in the valley was a shiny silver zipper, begging to be pulled down. He groaned at the thought.

The barely there thongs…_barely __**there**_ thongs…had black garter's attached. And to think, he'd assumed she'd worn plain black tights to work. He gulped. It was probably better that way. She'd made him—quite literally—weak in the knees.

She grinned saucily at him, knowing she'd won. They'd never make it to the movie, of course, but it would be on in the background. "So…what are _you_ going to watch the movie in?" she asked innocently as she twirled a lock of stray hair with her index finger.

Derek stalked around the island separating them. He grasped her by the waist and pulled her against him. The thought of pushing that silk out of the way and sliding inside of her was almost more than he could take. "You," he said, his voice thick with need. "I'm gonna watch the movie in you."


End file.
